


I would rather have been a tall sunflower

by musicforswimming



Category: House M.D.
Genre: F/M, Morning After, Older Man/Younger Woman
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-05-06
Updated: 2006-05-06
Packaged: 2017-10-03 19:25:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 706
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21409
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/musicforswimming/pseuds/musicforswimming
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A morning -- and day -- after.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I would rather have been a tall sunflower

**Author's Note:**

> Title from Carl Sandburg's poem "Cripple"

_"Test this," House said, dumping a knotted pillowcase onto the counter in the lab. _

"But it's moving," Cameron called out as he walked away. "What is this?"

  
   
   
   
   
The morning actually started out pretty well. Better than other mornings-after with co-workers, anyway. It was when she yawned, pulling on her shoes, and joked that he should drop her off a block or two from the hospital so they don't arrive together that it all started to go downhill.

His answer to that was to point out that she hit Chase, so the only thing he was worried about was Foreman asking when it would be **his** turn, or, ooh, Cuddy, and when **that** happened, could she make sure it happened somewhere they'd be on security tapes?

She stared at him for a moment, then told him not to worry about giving her a ride.

Cameron only had to shift her leg so that the needle prick showed and Foreman didn't ask any questions when he picked her up.  
   
   
   
   


_"Well, they were going to put her to sleep! And I saw her big eyes and just knew you'd love her. Relax," he snapped, "you don't need to put 'puppy torturing' on your list of duties. Just test its fleas. And for God's sake, don't let them get you as easily as Foreman did."_

She ignored the last. "What am I looking for? I'm a doctor, not -- "

  
   
   
   
   
Swollen lymph nodes, fever, chills, and exhaustion are all symptomatic of lymphoma. But it wasn't lymphoma, which was why Wilson turned the case over to them.

It was a passing reference to the pets -- specifically, asking if they had a cat in order to rule out toxoplasmosis -- that caught House's attention. Naturally, none of them understood what he meant when he asked if the dog ever had fleas, and she didn't stay around long enough to find out, fleeing instead to the lab for more tests.  
   
   
   
   


_"I've been waiting for **years** to hear someone use that line. Although I'd kind of hoped it would be me. You're looking for enterobacteria. Specifically, _Y. pestis_."_

"Y. pestis_." She stared at him, oblivious to the wriggling parcel on the counter beside her. "Plague?"_

"Bubonic plague, to be precise, although patient is now having some respiratory problems, so it's probably pneumonic, as well. You were right, it's not lymphoma!"

  
   
   
   
   
Foreman asked her, after it became pneumonic and the respiratory problems necessitated intubation, if she would need a ride home -- probably so that she wouldn't have a chance to show him the prick again, or mention the word 'article'. Cameron was grateful that he waited until they were alone to do it.

"Thanks," she said, "but I'm okay."

He looked at her, and shook his head as he headed for House's office, while she went back to the lab.  
   
   
   
   


_"And hey," he added, already on his way to the elevator, "if little... "_

"Annie," Cameron said in spite of herself.

"If little Annie dies, you can keep the puppy! Its eyes will match yours, all big and innocent and hurt."

  
   
   
   
   
"I'm guessing that was a lie," House called when she passed by his office on the way out.

She thought about not stopping, but knew she would. "What?" she asked, turning to look at him.

"When you nobly told Foreman that your virtue didn't need protecting this evening. Or were you just going to ask Cuddy, and have her fire me for sexual harassment while you're at it?"

"It wasn't harassment," Cameron said quietly, looking at the window behind him. "I wouldn't do that."

"No," he agreed, and that got her attention. He was rising, putting his jacket on and picking up his cane. "But you do need a ride."

She frowned, and finally gave a small nod. "I guess."  
   
   
   
   


_She didn't bother answering that, only scratched the puppy's ears through the sack, feeling it shivering under her hand, and wondered if she ought to put a full suit on._

  
   
   
   
   
Cameron noticed he only said 'need a ride', and not 'need a ride home', and she didn't comment on this, because if he didn't say it, then it was probably more significant than what he did say.

He'd brought an extra helmet, though, and that said something instead.


End file.
